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Since the beginning of time, humans have searched for safe and effective ways to preserve food. When done properly, preservation prevents food from spoiling. Depending on the method you use, preservation may extend the shelf life of some foods for several months or years.
But how does preservation work? What is the science behind some of the most popular and traditional methods?

Smoking

Humans likely discovered the preservation effects of smoking food by accident. Meats, fowl and fish that were cooked over an open fire and exposed to smoke lasted longer than foods that did not.
Why is smoking an effective preservation technique?
Certain compounds in wood smoke have antimicrobial effects, which prevent the growth of the bacteria that spoils food.
Today, there are many methods used to smoke foods, including both cold and hot techniques. Hot smoking is a great choice for fresh or frozen food, while cold smoking is ideal for salted products and cheese.
Because there are so many preservation methods available today, smoking is primarily used to give foods distinct flavors, rather than preserving them.

Drying

Drying is another popular food preservation method, and a highly effective one. Because bacteria and other disease-causing organisms can only thrive in a moist environment, drying is one of the simplest ways to prevent spoilage. In ancient times, humans used the sun and the wind to dry out foods.
Drying was likely the earliest form of food preservation, and evidence of this technique dates all the way back to the earliest days of recorded history.
Over the centuries, the method of drying foods has progressed and advanced to make the process less time consuming.
Today, we use a food dehydrator to simulate the effects of drying food out in the sun and wind. These appliances use low-temperature heat and fans to remove moisture from foods. While faster than drying out in the sun, dehydration still takes several hours to complete.

Freezing

Freezing is a highly effective way to preserve food because bacteria and other pathogens that spoil food are either killed or are not able to multiply at low temperatures.
Freezing isn’t a perfect method, though. Some pathogens are able to survive cold temperatures, and in some cases, freezing simply deactivates the pathogen. Once the food thaws out, the pathogen will become active again.
Just like any other food preservation method, freezing will work better with some foods than others. Meat, fish, poultry and some fruit juices are common choices for this method.

Salting

Salting, or curing, is a very old preservation technique that’s still not well understood by science. We do know that salt binds with water molecules, so in some respects, this method acts as a way to dehydrate. A salty environment may also prevent pathogens from surviving.
No matter the science behind this method, people have been using salt to preserve food for centuries.
There are some factors that affect the efficiency of curing, such as the size of the food and its fat content. The concentration of salt and the temperature of the brine will also play a role in how effective this method is.
While it can be used with vegetables and fruit, curing is most commonly used to preserve meat and fish.

Fermentation

Fermentation is actually a natural chemical reaction that causes a food to convert into another form via pathogens, or bacteria. Technically, the food “goes bad,” but the end result is still an edible product. Cheese is the perfect example of fermentation. Milk has a very short shelf-life, but early humans quickly discovered that spoiled milk can be controlled to produce cheese.
Fermentation has been praised in recent years because many fermented foods, such as sauerkraut and kimchi, contain beneficial gut bacteria that aids in digestion and health.

Healthy eating and exercise can help you lose weight and maintain weight, too. Being healthy requires a two-prong approach, and when you leave healthy food or exercise off of the schedule, you’re simply not going to be as healthy as you “think you are.”

When trying to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume.

It’s pure mathematics, and if you eat more calories than you consume, you can be sure that you’ll gain weight.

Let’s take a look at a few exercise and eating tips that can help you lose or maintain your weight while being the healthiest you possible.
1. Start With a Good Breakfast
Are you the type of person that wakes up, grabs a coffee, and runs off to work? Breakfast is one of the most essential meals of the day, but many people have a way of brushing it off. Regularly eating breakfast has been shown to:

Lower risk of heart disease

Replenish blood sugar

Combat diabetes

Lower risk of obesity

Aim for something with less sugar, such as:

Whole-grains

Oatmeal

Oat bran

And don’t be afraid to throw in some yogurt and chopped nuts to make your meal a little more balanced in the protein department. Cottage cheese, whole-grain pancakes, toast and even eggs are a great way to start the day.
2. Consume Enough Carbohydrates“But, carbs are bad and lead to fat!”

Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy, and if you’re spending hours on your, cross trainer you’ll need carbs to help replenish your energy levels.

Complex carbs are recommended, and include:

Fruits

Veggies

Beans

Whole grains

Ideally, 45% - 60% of your daily calories will come from carbohydrates. You can alter these ratios if you’re following a macronutrient diet, but don’t go much lower than 40% carbs.
3. Exercise Daily Even If It’s a Short Duration
I’m the type of person that has a tendency to think the week is wasted if I didn’t start exercising on Monday. But the truth is that people should be engaging in some form of exercise daily. This doesn’t mean you should work your chest seven days a week – you do need 48 hours for recovery, so your muscles can grow.

But just because you can’t spend an hour at the gym doesn’t mean you can’t still get in some exercise.

Exercise is essential to your health. Not only will you burn excess calories (essential for losing weight), but you’ll also:

Maintain muscle tone and strength

Combat heart diseases and diabetes

Boost serotonin in the body

Relieve stress and anxiety

And there is no excuse not to get a workout in even if you don’t go to the gym. Walk around the neighborhood, do pushups, or invest in a elliptical crosstrainer machine so that you can workout in the comfort of your home.
4. Fuel Your Body for a Workout
Do you feel like you run out of steam during your workout? Of course you do. You need to be able to exert yourself with the utmost intensity and highest energy level to be able to enjoy the full benefits of a workout.

And the right fuel will help immensely. These foods can put you on the right track to an energy-filled workout:

Bananas

Nuts

Nut butter

Berries

Oranges

Grapes

Don’t dare reach for that coffee or sugary drink – it will make you crash. Healthy foods that do not provide an immediate sugar rush that is short-lived work the best.